We are now deeply entrenched in the Google Age. First contact is no longer face to face, on the phone or even through a reference. Instead, first contact often happens via an online search. And according to Net Marketshare, out of the 3.5 billion searches that happen online per day, approximately 80% of all searches happen on Google. Hence to create powerful marketing and sales strategies, it is crucial to understand who is doing the searching and how they are finding your business.
Who Is Searching for Your Business?
Millennials
Millennials are now making B2B business decisions. They are digital natives who were born around 1980 and later, which means they have never known a world without the modern-day internet. By the time millennials joined the workforce, 50% of Americans were using email regularly and search engines were par for the course.
Take-away: If you are not marketing to millennials, you need to reevaluate your strategy. Take the time to research how millennials’ digital familiarity influences the kind of content and media channels they are using.
Lower level researchers
In the past, B2B marketing strategies typically focused exclusively on the C-suite or other senior-level executives. However, the ecosystem of influencers around the B2B research process has changed dramatically. B2B researchers who are not in the c-suite now influence purchase decisions and are often making the purchases themselves.
Take-away: Are you still only marketing to the highest level? If you are then you are not visible to the people you need to notice you.
How Are Researchers Finding You?
Generic searches
Researchers are looking for product first, not for you. Actual contact with sales is happening much later in the process. Therefore, it is necessary to present your value story to your customers or potential customers much earlier and articulate it in a much simpler manner. It is also necessary to understand that most people searching on Google do not get past the first page of the search. Keep in mind that click-throughs exponentially decrease on the second page of searches.
Take-Away: A strong SEO strategy and a compelling story are essential so that your business ranks high with search engines. This will coax the researcher to click-through to your website.
Mobile devices
Really? Yes! B2B researchers are using mobile devices for product research even (and maybe now especially) while they are at work. And they use them throughout the entire path. They are reading about products, comparing features, comparing prices, messaging, and making purchases.
Take-Away: If you haven’t taken the time to consider the mobile experience you are offering to your customers, grab your phone now and pull up your website. Considering the amount of time researchers are spending on their smartphones, it’s important that you provide them with rich mobile experiences.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Understanding who is searching for your business and how they are looking for you has always been part of sales strategy. These days, embracing the Google Age and all of its complexities are part of it too. We know that the internet landscape can shift with the speed of a keystroke.
If you are struggling to keep up with the Google Age, our passionate team of experts at 360 Consulting is here to help. We will determine the best strategy to get you the record-breaking sales results that you desire while remaining true to your mission, vision, and values. Contact us today by scheduling a free consultation here!